In the event of a crisis or emergency, such as, for example, severe weather or a natural disaster, individuals who are not aware of the crisis or emergency event may need to be notified of the event. Notification of the event can be provided by an emergency notification service, such as, for example, the National Weather Service (NWS). For instance, in the event of severe weather, the NWS may issue a watch or warning describing the type of severe weather (e.g., tornado, severe thunderstorm, etc.), and the counties that may be impacted by the severe weather.
However, a notification of an event provided by an emergency notification service may be misleading and/or incomplete. For example, the notification may cover a broader area than the area that may actually be impacted by the event. For instance, a severe weather watch or warning issued by the NWS may include, e.g., be issued for, an entire county, but only a portion of the county may actually be impacted by the severe weather. Accordingly, individuals who receive the notification may be unsure as to whether the notification actually applies to them, e.g., whether they may actually be impacted by the event.
Additionally, the notification may not include advice on how to deal with the event, e.g., safe locations to which an individual can go during or after the event. For instance, a severe weather watch or warning issued by the NWS may not include locations of, or directions to, severe weather shelters to which an individual can go during or after the severe weather. Accordingly, individuals who receive the notification may be unsure as to what to do and/or where to go during or after the event.
Further, the notification may not be timely, e.g., an individual may not receive the notification until after the event. For instance, an individual may not receive a severe weather watch or warning issued by the NWS until after the severe weather has passed. Accordingly, the individual may receive the notification too late for the notification to be useful for the individual.
Additionally, in some instances, an individual may be traveling and their location may be unfamiliar to them. Therefore, any location information may not be understood to be relevant to the individual, and/or the individual may not know where to seek shelter or find emergency services, among other needs.